Meghan Markle Leaving Royal Family Was A 'Terrible Missed Opportunity,' Jodie Turner-Smith Says

Jodie Turner-Smith was hopeful about Meghan Markle's impact on the British monarchy before she and Prince Harry stepped down from their roles as senior working royals last year.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, the "Queen & Slim" star weighed in on Markle and Prince Harry's royal exit. For the British actress, who plays Queen Anne Boleyn, one of King Henry VIII's ill-fated wives, in the Channel 5 series "Anne Boleyn," the royal family missed a great opportunity with the Duchess of Sussex to "modernize" the monarchy.

"I think that Meghan could have been that," Turner-Smith said. "It was a terrible missed opportunity, the way in which it was not allowed to be something that really modernizes that institution, and to change it to something for the better."

"I think that's why there's dysfunction there," the 34-year-old star added.

Turner-Smith went on to clarify that she doesn't consider herself a "monarchist." She also noted how the monarchy has not progressed to keep up with the times.

"I think it's interesting that the institution is not changing with the time, or quickly enough," she told the outlet. "We have to look at things in a modern context. And only then we will recognize that certain things are archaic, and don't really serve us as a community and are limiting us. I think we should keep those things in stories and move on to something else in reality."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to quit royal duties in January 2020. The couple has since relocated to California, where they are raising their son Archie, 2, and are currently expecting their second child, a daughter.

Meanwhile, an unnamed insider previously told Us Weekly that Prince William, who will take over the throne after Prince Charles, is already planning to modernize the monarchy.

"William is already thinking about the future of the Monarchy and the changes he’ll make," the source said. "While he respects protocol, he plans to modernize some aspects and is making it his mission to be more relatable than previous generations."

Just recently, Prince William and Kate Middleton joined YouTube. Their move to expand their social media presence received mixed responses from netizens. Some claimed the Cambridges were trying too hard to be relatable, while many others were happy and excited to get a glimpse into Prince William and Middleton's lives through a new platform.